Rapid-transit wrench



(No Model.)

J. DU SHANE. RAPID TRANSIT WRENCH. N0. 331,189. Patented Nov. 24, 1885.

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JAMES DU SHANE, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

RAPID-TRANSIT WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,189, dated November24, 1885.

A Application filed July 15, 1885. Serial No. 17 1,TO7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES DU SHANE, of South Bend, in the county of St.Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Rapid Transit Wrenches; and .I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear; and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1is a side view, partly in section, of my improved wrench. Fig. 2 is afront View of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rapid-transit wrenches; and itconsists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by letter, A designates the shaftor shank of the wrench, provided on one end with a proper handle andhaving secured to the other end the fixed outer jaw, A, of the wrench.The shank A has made on its front edge the rack A, the teeth of which,a, run transversely across the edge of the shank at right angles to itsaxis, for a purpose hereinafter explained.

B is the movable or traveling jaw of the wrench,properly slotted to moveon the shank, as shown. The rear side of the slot in which the shankenters is cut away to form a chamber, b. The lower end of this chamberhas formed on its bottom a circular recess, 1), in which rests a smallcoiled spring, 0, that bears against the rear surface of the shank A atright angles thereto. The part of the traveling jaw in front of theshank has running from its lower surface, (Z, the longinternally-threaded recess D,parallel to the axis of the shank when thespring 0 is acting against the latter. The surface d stands at rightangles to the front edge of the shank at a point nearer to the fixed jawthan the spring 0.

E is a cylindrical button having upon its periphery the parallelequidistant threads 6, adapted to engage between the teeth of the rack AF is a threaded stem standing at right angles from the center of theupper surface of the button E, and engaging in the threaded recess l). V

The planes of the threads 6 are at right angles to the axis of thebutton E, and the teeth of the rack are at right angles across the frontsurface of the shank. Consequently, when the button is rotated it doesnot move longitudinally on the shank, but, by means of the engagement ofthe stem F and recess D, causes 7 the traveling jaw to movelongitudinally thereon. The button merely holds the said jaw at anydesired position on the shank, all adjustment of the same being causedby the threaded stem.

To move the jaw B rapidly from one position to an other,the rear surfaceof the said jaw is pressed inward against the action of the spring 0,and the threads 0 disengaged from between the teeth a. The jaw is thenslid up or down nearly to the required position, the threads againforced to engage the teeth by the action of the spring 0, and theadjustment of the traveling jaw completed by rotating the button E byhand.

' Rapidtransit wrenches have been made provided with a nut engaging arack on the shank controlled by a spring and capable of being disengagedby hand from the rack when necessary to move the traveling jaw. Suchconstruction I do not desire to claim, broadly.

The main advantages of the present construction are as follows: TheWrench is made in four compact and simple parts only, counting thespring 0, which is small and could easily be replaced if lost. Thecylinder F is not a nut or screw and engages the rack at right angles tothe line ofthe axis of the shank, so as to hold more evenly and firmlythereon when the wrench is being used. The threaded stem and recess arenever disengaged unless unscrewed from one another, as the cylinder andthreaded stem move outward and inward with the traveling jaw.Consequently they cannot engage with a shock so as to rapidly wear outtheir threads, as happens with many other wrenches of a similar kind.

The wrench may be operated by one hand as follows: Placing the finger onthe springchamber and pulling down disengages the movable jaw and drawsit toward the handle.

Pushing on the outer edge of the button E lifts the same out ofengagement, and at the same time shifts the movable jaw toward the fixedjaw.

I am aware'that wrenches have been made having their shanks perforated,in which perforations astud on the screw-socket is dropped to adjust themovable jaw, which is rendered further adjustable by the rotation of thescrew therein, said screw-socket being governed by a leaf-spring, andsuch construction I do not claim; but,

Having described my invention, I claim- The combination, in arapid-transit wrench, of the shank A, having the fixed jaw A secured toits end, and the rack A formed on its front edge with teeth of said rackat right angles across said edge, the traveling jaw B,

provided with the chamber 12, and spring-recess 12', immediately in rearof the shank-slot, and with the threaded recess D in front of said slot,the tooth or flanged button E, engaging with the teeth of the shank butnot traveling on the shank thereby, the threaded stem F, having itslower end fixed centrally on the button E, and the coiled spring 0 inthe recess b and acting against the back of the shank, all substantiallyas specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

JAMES DU SHANE.

Witnesses:

WILLIS A. BUGBEE, GEO. W. MATTHEWS.

